Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-01-13
WOMEN AS SPECULATORS.

again did McCellum practice IN that court
WOMEN AS SPECULATORS.
PeculiaritieS of Prominent Class of San Fran
cisco Stock Gamblers.
San Francisco Chronicle
One of the features of the Stock Ex-
changes in this city since their establish.
ment, says the San Francisco Chronicle,
has been the peculiar looking women, to
whom some orthinoligists, struck by
their appearance, applied the name OF
"mudhens." That title still adhered to
them, and they are still designated by it
in general way. These female specu-
lators have, since the present excitement
began, become more numerous in the cor
ridors of the exchanges and the brokers
offices. They always constituted a no.
ticeably large class. Even in the dull
days of the stock market women of this
class have been prominent part Of the
crowd that has obstructed the Pine and
Montgomery street sidewalks from early
forenoon until the sessions of the ex-
changes were over. Where there was one
few months ago there are almost a
dozen now, but the increase in their
numbers has brought no variety in their
ranks, and the same marks of the "mud-
hen" so cover all that it would be difficult
to pick out the new Spectator Of the
weaker sex from the old. This does not
apply to all of these curious looking for
tune-seekers without exception, since a
few of them have been daily frequent
ers of these avenues of wealth for so
long a time that nearly everybody who
has passed and repassed along Montgom-
cry or Pine streets has come to know
them by sight.
The place where they principally con-
gregate is the building of the Pacific
Stock Exchange Board, on Montgomery
street, and during the present boom the
lower lobby and gallery of the brokers'
there has been thronged with them.
Yesterday afternoon there were at least
four hundred of these female plungers
observing the VIOLENT antics of the mem
bers of the Exchange as they gesticulated
and yelled their offers and their bids. The
approaches to the room were filled with
them; on the sidewalk were others
and the waiting rooms of brokers'
offices had their share. They were group
ed together in twos and threes, revealing
their unattractive teeth as they chartered
together and laughed their merriment,
being OF dull and narrow character.
None of these female spectators dress
well, their gowns and shawls being of a
poor sort. Yet, it is said, many of them
have enough money and property to be
considered well-to-do. All of them have
the same haggard, hollow-eyed expression
on their faces.
Not lew of these women, who confide
in the market, bring their babies down
town with them day after day, and carry
them around until the business of the
afternoon is over. They take them in
their arms into the room of the exchange,
into brokers' offices, climb and descend
stairs with them, and hold them up as
they read the newspaper extras of stock
prices, pinned up against wall.
The absence of the "tickers,' or indi-
Gators, in the Office of stockholders at
present is due to the growing army of
''mud-hens." These indicators have all
been abolished within the past week, BE-
cause the offices where they have been
packed hour after hour with these wom-
en-. yesterday" said one broker, "they
were crowded in here like sardines in a
box, and did not have room enough to
turn around in, so L took the indicator
away. There is none in any of the brok
ers' offices now.'
SSN6Idl VI G16 UTOhGrS VIII nave EOCl6N-
ed liberal portion of the patronage of
women stated that many of their female
customers have made big profits out of
the present rise.
Singularly enough, one broker after
another who was consulted said: "They
have more nerve than men," the word
"nerve" being a catch of them as if it
were a catch phrase. From their state
ments it appears that the women specu-
lators are very sanguine, and when the
market takes such an upward turn, as it
has now, they continue holding on to
their stock, when man would sell and
quit with a small winning. AS the stocks
they have bought go up, thee continue
pouring in more and more margins to
buy more stocks. The brokers agree
that these women who lack the caution of
a man are harder to be dealt with than
men. They don't grasp things as quick
ly in business affairs and are less easily
satisfied.